This invention relates to automatic popcorn popping machines.
Automatic popcorn popping machines have been provided for use in theatres, clubs, amusement parks, and other establishments to supply the public's demand for popcorn. These machines, however, have many disadvantages and limitations. A majority of the conventional poppers must employ hot air popping rather than the more desirable oil popping. Operation of the prior art popping machines is not entirely automatic in that many of the steps must be performed manually, requiring the presence of an operator. Thus, certain of the machines require manual control of filling the popper with corn, seasoning oil and salt. In these machines the pot must be opened for each pop, and this introduces the possibility of contaminants entering the pot and mixing with the popped corn, as well as the possibility of injury to the operator. Popping machines of the open-pot type also quickly lead to fouling and unsightliness of the display case after only a few pops resulting from condensed steam and waste oil.
Previous popping machines have not been entirely successful in providing a salable product having the desirable qualities of uniform flavor, tenderness and appearance. These have varied depending upon factors such as operator judgment or machine limitations in measuring the amount of raw products in the supply hoppers, time length for each cycle, the temperature in the pot during a pop, control of steam and waste oil effluent from the popper, and separation of "old maids" from the popped corn. In these poppers the operation has not been failsafe such that the cycle is interrupted should any of the supplies be insufficient for a popping cycle. Also, if the operation stops during any cycle, there is no assurance the machine will continue with the correct cycle sequence upon restart. Previously, salt injection into the popper has been a problem, and conventional machines have not successfully metered the precise amount of salt into the popper for uniform results.
Conventional popping machines also do not lend themselves to a continued series of popping cycles untended by an operator, and they have no provision for selectively controlling the rate of popping and the total number of pops in a completely automatic process.
Another object is to provide a fully automatic machine for popping corn in heated seasoning oil.
Another object is to provide a popcorn popping machine having a closed pot throughout a series of popping cycles eliminating the possibility of contamination of a pop, injury to the operator, and effluent discharge into the display case.
Another object is a popping machine providing air evacuation of the popped corn product from the popper into the display case.
Another object is a popping machine providing air evacuation of the popped corn with a trap for removing "old maids" from the product and directing them into a chute for subsequent removal.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.